…At Mystic Island. The gentle breeze of the wind brushed past her hair, a soothing caress to her skin. Yet, the turmoil inside her heart was palpable, evident in her eyes and actions. As the sun rose up and slid down the horizon, she sat on the same spot, hugging her knees and facing the ocean. The sand behind her shuttled, measured footsteps approaching. “Hey, what's up.” Sitting beside her, Freya nudged her slightly. “I wonder how long you'll put up with this habit, Heidi.”Forever? Heidi wasn't sure. For as long as time passed by, the more her heart longed for what she'd desperately run away from, seeking solace in this non-existent life.“Sigh!” Freya rested on the sand, facing the sky. “I have this feeling that we're gonna get caught someday, Heidi… for how long are you gonna keep hiding?”For as long as she survived on this Island?Heidi rested beside her, her eyes fixed on the stars forming a constellation of a familiar face. “It's more peaceful here…” she breathed out.
… Waking up the next morning to a foreboding feeling in her chest was enough sign that her peaceful days on this Island were over. The moment she opened her eyes, someone hugged her. “What am I gonna do with you, Heidi…” Freya murmured. “An emotional outburst can cause you a second heart attack, and that will be the end of us. Our days of hiding here will be over… we'll need to go to any nearby city for your treatment, and the police won't have mercy once they catch me.”Heidi sighed inside. Did she faint last night? Her only cure was ultimate happiness, something she doubted she was ever going to find on this Island or anywhere in this world. “If I have a heart attack someday, don't bother yourself, Freya… let me die and-”“Please, Heidi… stop it,” Freya whispered. “How dare you wish death upon yourself? You're the nicest person I've ever met; I fell for a villain and almost let him slip away, I lost my job and was about to lose my life but you saved me even though we never kne
“A kid means no harm. Relax, Heidi.” Jason patted her shoulder. “That pilot must be her father.”Heidi sat on the couch. “Now let me get to work! I'll see to it that that man is taught a lesson for crossing my number one rule of this Island! No tourists are allowed with a helicopter!”As Jason matched out of the room, Freya snickered. “He's doing a bad job managing this place. Too bad none of us can be in charge.”Under the pretense of working for the AG Group and managing the resorts here, Jason had moved to the mystic Island to be with her. One coincidence led to the guy clinging onto her.Driven by curiosity, he'd wandered into this cabin on a particular day, which was rumored to be haunted, and that was how he found her and Freya. Wondering if Jason was going to send the father and daughter back even though she didn't like that idea, Heidi carried on with her day, taking a walk down the empty beach separated from the resort’s area. The Island ahead was like an abandoned old ca
From caressing the girl's hair, Heidi found herself drawing her close, wrapping her in a gentle embrace. “What's your name?” Uncertainty filling her heart, she asked in a hoarse voice.The little girl neither struggled nor made a sound of discomfort, she in fact snuggled deeper into Heidi's embrace. She murmured, “Nanny calls me Didi, but Daddy calls me Heidi.”Heidi shut her eyes, swallowing down a sudden lump in her throat. A soft laughter escaped her lips. “That's a beautiful name you have, Baby.”However, the little girl pulled away, furrowing her brows. “But my first Mommy dislikes it. She once argued with Daddy about it.”“Oh, is that so?” Sniffing back the tears threatening to burst out, Heidi forced a smile. “Why doesn't she like your name?”“Because she's a meanie. Nanny said she made my Mommy disappear.” The girl blew out a sigh, her tone gloomy. “But Daddy promised she won't bother us anymore.”Heidi didn't know where to keep her emotions. She just didn't want to cry in f
“For the first time, I'm agreeing with Jason's words.” Freya nodded. “Let's return her to the poor man, Heidi. She's not lost.”“Please don't let them take me away, Mommy.” The little girl hugged Heidi's arm. “I promise I'll be obedient. We'll stay in this paradise forever.”“Don't mind them, I won't let you go.” Heidi patted her hair. She stared at Jason and Freya, communicating with her eyes. The two gave her crestfallen looks and sighed at the same time. That Night;Heidi rested on her bed, holding the baby close, and sniffing the familiar scent on her. Citrus mixed with lavender. The scent of the Harrisons Villa. A scent that only belonged to the man she loved. Whenever she thought of him in the past, she'd feel hate and remorse, but now… the thought of him brought fear to her heart, and a regret she couldn't deny. Beside her, the little girl shifted. She opened her sleepy eyes, her wide milky eyes blinking. “Why aren't you sleeping, Mommy?”“I just love staring at you.” H
~During the car ride, Heidi's mind was muddled with different kinds of thoughts that brought worry to her heart. Her only solace was the little girl sitting beside her, holding her hand. “You're so quiet, Mommy…” she asked, “Is everything alright?”Heidi smiled, parting her hair to the side. “I'm okay, Baby.”“Where are we headed?” She murmured, glancing out of the car's window. “You brought me back, Mommy. Are you gonna drop me off at Nanny's place and disappear again.”Smoothing the tiny frown on the girl's forehead, Heidi's heart ached as she kept repeating that word. Disappearing hadn't be easy, and appearing again would definitely incure many repercussions. Heidi picked her up and sat her on her lap, hugging her. “I'd rather die than to disappear again.”Here she was, loathing death, something she'd actually been craving for the past three years. Her heart was an ocean of emotions and her tears never dried up, so much that her eyes were hurting. “Please, Mommy, stop crying
All eyes snapped in Heidi's direction.As her sobs echoed in the living room, they all but sprang to their feet. “Ha! How many times have I told you guys to stop mentioning Heidi's name?” Lilian cried out. “Now I'm seeing Heidi's face instead of this lady who appeared from nowhere with a child!”“Are you seeing Heidi? I'm also seeing her!” Natalie gasped. “That's impossible, right?”“Unless we're all out of our minds!” Kate cackled. “Because we all might be seeing Heidi.”Lifting her head, Heidi glanced at everyone's face. Her gaze stopped at her mother whose expression was deadly pale. “Th- This- This isn't Heidi. My Heidi's dead!”Shaking her head, the woman staggered backward. “Who the hell summoned Heidi's ghost?”Her mother fainted immediately after saying that, and the whole room was thrown into chaos. Heidi shot to her feet, holding her baby tight, racing to the spot. Under the family's watchful gazes, she sat beside her mother, shaking her. “Mum! I'm not a ghost! I've come
All eyes turned to Harold, some blinking in shock and the rest widening. Heidi was confused too that of all people, Harold Olsen was the one who believed her.But from the look of guilt on his face and the way he sank onto the floor, literally kneeling in front of her, something was definitely fishy. “Heidi, please forgive me.”Heidi flinched when he held her knees. She stared at him, frowning. “Forgive you for what, Uncle?”“What did you do Dad!?” Zach hollered, his eyes filled with horror.The others looked fearful as well.Hanging his head, Harold shook it slowly. “I know saying this is probably too late. That night, Heidi didn't lose her child. When the police found her and Natalie, I orchestrated everything that happened after.”Several gasps spread across the room.Avoiding everyone's gaze, Harold said in a melancholic tone. “Having Heidi and Lucas Harrison together at that time meant the end of my sovereignty in this family. I did that to strip Heidi of her position- and…” He